best zoom for a canon 400d

[minerva]

Hi i have just bought a canon 400d and started browsing this forum, lots of fantastic advice:), i have bought a 60mm f/2.8 Macro for the camera and its great but would like a decent zoom, i dont want a really heavy large one and feel bamboozled:cuckoo: by how many there seem to be, can anyone help with this?

[Grendel]

Have a look at the Canon 70-300mm IS USM. It's a superb lens that's not too bulky and will give you some excellent results. It has image stabilisation too which is a great asset with a zoom lens. You can pick up a new one for around £400 although they can be hard to get hold of due their popularity.

Have a look at a review here (http://www.photozone.de/8Reviews/lenses/canon_70300_456is/index.htm)

[Cobra]

for around £300 you can get a 70-300 is usm lens which seem quite popular. A word of advice although stay away from the 75-300 the IQ is not really that good
Its like everything in life you get what you pay for
if you have < £1000 to spend you would do well to look at the 100-400 L series
or the 70-200 L series.

These are new prices obviously they are a bit cheaper second hand

There is a good range of sigma lens's available, reasonably priced, but I will leave that for someone else, as I have no experiance with these

Edit slight error on the 70-300 price more like £340 delivered from the UK or less from HK
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-CANON-EF-70-300MM-IS-USM-f-4-5-6-AF-LENS-70-300-MM_W0QQitemZ180163063799QQihZ008QQcategoryZ30070QQ ssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
HTH

[minerva]

Excellent, thank you grendel that does sound like what i want - off i trot to look it up and i suppose if its so popular it is wishful thinking to go check out ebay!

[minerva]

Oh god Cobra just seen that that you have said there is a 75-300 and 70-300 and the 75-300 is Not good, thats what gets me confused when i am looking at them on ebay, its easy to miss that in the description, but there does seem to be an obvious price difference between the two and that would explain it. I just want to get the right one rather that getting loads of almost the right one!
Thanks

[Cobra]

Oh god Cobra just seen that that you have said there is a 75-300 and 70-300 and the 75-300 is Not good, thats what gets me confused when i am looking at them on ebay, its easy to miss that in the description, but there does seem to be an obvious price difference between the two and that would explain it. I just want to get the right one rather that getting loads of almost the right one!
Thanks

Its OK at the price but does have a few issues it would seem, in the IQ dept. If you are on a tight budget then OK but if you can run to the 70-300mm is usm then I would certainly go for that over the 75-300

[MG TF 135]

The Canon EFS 75-300mm USMIII is a good lense for the money, its quite light so is good if you need to be mobile. Can be a little soft at full zoom but nothing a little sharpening in PS can't fix.

I also have a Sigma 75-300mm APO which is a bit heavier, but i generally use this on a tripod.

[Bob]

You can buy 1 on e bay £330 inc postage. I would wait awhile as I read on here some where canon may be doing a cash back from Oct to Christmas you might save yourself a few quid

Bob:woot:

[minerva]

Thank you, i have seen a post about the cash back thing so i ill read that first, but that price on ebay sounds quite good.

[Cobra]

Thank you, i have seen a post about the cash back thing so i ill read that first, but that price on ebay sounds quite good.

Just make sure that the seller doesn't remove the bar codes, from the box, this is a common trick on ebay. Its the bar codes you need to send in for the refund. AKA the sellers cuts the price by circa £20 quid but have already claimed the circa £50 refund ;)

[desantnik]

Gotta reccomend the Canon 70-300 IS, and as others have said make sure it is that one and not either of the 75-300 IS or non-IS.

Its an excellent lens for the money. Light and pretty much bang on, certainly in the 70-200 range. Yes its only f4-5.6 (f5 at 200mm) so no real "low light special", but you won't find anything better for the money.

[andrewc]

For £ 400 you could get the 70-200f4 L and get the optical and build quality that 'L' glass gives.

[desantnik]

Thats true, but it is heavier and your loose the potential for the extra 100mm and the IS

[andrewc]

not that much heavier at 705g vs 630g

I bet the 70-200 range the image quality on the L lens is significantly higher than the 70-300IS.

[StewartR]

Just to throw a mischievous spanner into the works... my favourite Canon zoom is the 10-22mm. OK, it's not particularly comparable to the 70-300, 75-300, 70-200 etc. ... but I don't recall minerva mentioning what he/she wanted to take pictures of! The 10-22 is reasonably affordable, delivers great image quality, is light and portable, and great fun.

[DinoS]

i have the 70-300mm sigma it is good and wuite cheap at only £90.

[kinchy]

Yep, the Sigma 70-300 is an EXCELLENT budget option. For just over £100 you get a very good lens for the price. You coudl pay alot more for what isnt that much better (well not £200 better anyway)

If money is no object then get the Canon, if it is then get the Sigma and spend money on extra things.

Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 APO DG Macro Lens (http://www.onestop-digital.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=24_28&products_id=275)

[DinoS]

kinchy we have the same camera, lens although yours is APO and tripod. How do you find you camera and is it worth upgrading lenses or the body